Egg cooling apparatus



Nov. z5, 1941. N. E. 'AP'PLE 2,264,156

' EGG COOLING APPARATUS l Filed Jan. 9, v1939 5 Sheets-Sheet l f .1n hl l www NW HMWHWMW 5 Sheets-Sheef 2 File'd Jan. 9, 1959 NOV. 25, 1941. N, E; APPLE 2,264,156

EGG COOLINGy APPARATUS Filed Jan. 9, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Silo-.HW

' Nov. 25, 1941. N. E. APPLE EGG COOLING` APPARATUS Filed Jan. 9, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 K f5/w 37 @54.1 Ulm-neuf f. r ft/7.42

Nov. 25, 1941. N.v E. APPLE I 2,264,156

EGG COOLING' APPARATUS Filed Jan. 9, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 y ya Il llllllllll I Patented Nov. 25, 1941 UNHTED EGGCOOLING APPARATUS Nelson Everett Apple, Covington,

Ohio, assignor of one-half to Walter H. Mader, Covington, o

hlo

Application January 9, 1939, Serial No. 249,959

(Cl. 11S- 48) 1 Claim.

This invention pertains to food preservation, and more particularly to a method of egg cooling and storage and an apparatus for automatically transferring newly laid eggs into an air conditioned compartment wherein they are rapidly cooled and maintained under such temperature and humidity conditions as Yto preserve their original freshness and high quality.

An egg begins to deteriorate almost immediately that it is laid. Unless the animal heat is quickly extracted, the yolk of the egg becomes darkened and cloudy or somewhat red in color. Eggs, if fertile, will germinate at a temperature of sixty-nine degrees, causing spots to appear in the yolk. The contents of a newly laid egg completely ll the shell. However, unless proper conditions of humidity are maintained, a void or air cell begins to form almost immediately, due to shrinkage or evaporation of the contents of the egg. In an old, improperly conditioned egg such air cell will occupy approximately onefourth to one-third of the shell capacity.

Ordinary commercial eggs, if stored under improper conditions, although palatable and marketable, when broken do not stand up but tend to be watery and the whites fall. y

The physical changes which occur in improperly conditioned eggs, quite soon after they are laid, affect their flavor. While they will remain edible and commercially marketable for a considerable period of time without special treatment, there is, however, a marked difference of flavor between newly laid and commercial eggs.

Egg connoisseurs and restaurants and hotels catering to the higher class trade are quite willing to pay increased prices for such newly laid eggs, which are known in the trade as specials The present invention provides for immediate transfer of newly laid eggs from the laying nests directly into a storage compartment wherein they are subject to proper temperature and humidity conditions such as to maintain qualities and characteristics of freshly laid eggs. The refrigerated temperature condition is not suciently low to be equivalent to cold storage and the eggs subjected to the present treatment are in no sense cold storage eggs. The temperature is, however, sufficiently low to effect rapid dissipation of the animal heat and sufficiently below the germination point to prevent germination of fertile eggs. The humidity conditions are suinciently high within the storage compartment to prevent evaporation and shrinkage of the egg contents, and so preserve its original condition.

Newly laid eggs are surface coated with a moist excretion which, as it dries, ltends to seal the shell. While the present purpose is to deposit the newly laid eggs as quickly as possible in a moisture and temperature controlled storage compartment, it is also desirable to allow suicient time interval for drying of the moist surface of the egg shell.

In the'present embodiment of the invention there is contemplated a battery of laying nests, from which the eggs are conveyed to the temperature and moisture controlled storage compartment as rapidly as laid, either by gravity through screen conveyor troughs or by traveling conveyors, during which period they are subjected to drying iniluence of atmospheric air. Within the temperature controlled compartment the eggs are deposited in a series of baskets and automatically transferred from one to another until all are filled.

The primary object of the invention is to preserve the original condition and freshness of flavor of the newly laid eggs. t

A further object is to provide in combination with poultry laying nests a conditioningcompartment to which the eggs are automatically transferred immediately upon their deposit'in the nests.

AA further object of the invention is to provide an improved assembly of laying nests and refrigerated storage compartment with intermediate conveyor means for transierringvthe eggs automatically from the nests t9 the storage compartment.

A further object of the invention is to provide .I

ventilated conveyor means by which the eggs may be air dried before reaching the storage compartment.

A further, but none the less important, object of the invention is to provide an improved method for preserving the original flavor of freshly laid eggs.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus for subjecting newly laid eggs to rapid extraction of animal heat.

Further important objects of the invention'are to improve the sanitary conditions, by keeping the eggs clean, without washing, brushing or polishing, which destroys the natural surface of the egg. It also materially reducesthe incidental labor and attendance by eliminating egg gathering. By immediatev removal, breakage of eggs in the nests is prevented. The use of wire bottom nests prevents broodiness of the hens and increases egg production. Also, by scratching on the wire bottom as she enters the nest, the hen cleans her feet, which contributes greatly to preserving cleanliness of the eggs.

By the present method of immediately transferring newly laid eggs into a temperature and humidity conditioned compartment where the anextracted while maintaining 'imal heat is rapidly the egg temperature well above cold storage level but below germinating temperature, and the evaporation of the contents minimized by proper humidity conditioning, every newly laid egg is objects in view as will more fdllyappearfin the specification, the invention intended to be protected by Letters Patent consists of the features of construction, the parts .and combinations thereof, and the Inode of operation, or their equivalents, as hereinafter described or illus- .i

trated in the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the accompanying drawings. wherein is shown the preferred but .obviously not necessarily the only form of embodiment of the invention, i

Fig. l is a diagrammatic .perspective view of two batteries of laying nests vandan intermediate cold storage compartment into which'. the newly laid eggs are automatically deposited.

Fig,v 2 lis a perspective view Lof one of the nests, showing the delivery'chu-te discharging .into the gravity conveyor.A Y

Fig. 3 is a verticalsection of oneof the laying nests showing the relation of the'deliverychnte and conveyor andalso the alighting boardand conveyor guard. l l i. Y

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary topwplan viewnf portions `of the nest and egg delivery conveyor. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of fa `variation .of the egg delivery conveyorgor chute fromits preferred form.

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of the vestibule entrance from the egg conveyorinto vthe storage compartment. A i Y Fig. 7 is a vertical-sectionalviewof -the upper portion of the refrigerated storage 'compartment showing several receiving racks therein.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional View at'ri'ght angles to Fig. `r7*, illustrating' a portion of 'the-storage compartment and a receiving rack therein.

' Fig-9 is a perspective view of one of thestorage racks removed from the storagecornpartnfl-enh Fig. 10-is a perspective view off a .fragmentary portion of the duplex wire screen Vcloth nemployed lnvconstruction of the lstorage racks and egg conveyors. Y 1

Fig. 11. is e. front elevation lciti-.n.1 installation of greater siZe and capacity illustrating the use ofV traveling conveyors for transferring tnejeggs from the nests to the storage'compartment,"

Fig. 12 is a detail view partly broken away vo f a modified form of thejtraveling conveyor system including an elevator. l

Like parts are indicated by similar .characters 'of reference throughout the several views; The present apparatus is designed lor use 4in commercial poultry houses where eggs are pro.- duced in commercial quantities, andA is intended to supply a most exacting demand 'f9.1' eggs of highest quality and finest flavor,

Referring' to -the drawings,` l-I 'illustrate batteries of laying nests, Veach of v vhichI comprises multiple nest compartments 2.-'2.v Such hat1 teries l -rnay be extended to any desired length, and thenest compartments 2 may be disposed in a greater orv lesser number of tiers'- Intermediate the respective nest batteries l-,| is the storage compartment 3 into which the eggs .are .au-

acc-'1,156

tomatically transferred and maintained under low temperature conditions.

The nests, per se, may be of any desired construction from which the eggs will discharge automatically. For illustrative purposes, but with no intent to unduly limit the scope or applical 5, from which it can be removed to the front.

Since laying hens are inclined to be secretive and much prefer laying their eggs in darkened surroundings, each nest compartment or cubicle .2 is provided with a dependent curtain or drape 6, which may be pushed aside by the entering hen. The Wire mesh nest bottom 4 is slightly inclined .so that the deposited egg will roll by gravity forwardly from the vnest bottoni into o tapered Wire mesh delivery chiite l. A delivery chute 1 is provided for each nest compartment. Enclosing the delivery chutes 1 and common to all the nests of each tier of the'blattery is a'wire mesh conveyor trough 8. Both the delivery chutes and the conveyor trough are supported in an angle bar frame 9 in which they are inclined to the horizontal at such degree that the deposited eggs will roll by gravity through the chute 1 into the conveyor 8 and thence through the inclined conveyor trough under succeeding nest delivery chutes 1 into thestorage compartment 3.

Disposed over the conveyor trough, as a cover therefor, is an alighting board l0, hinged at its inner margin at Il for upward swingingmovement into vertical position in front of the Vnest openings. This alighting board affords .during the day an entry or vestibule to the nests to facilitate the entry of the hens, to the nests and at the same time prevents deposits of refuse in the chutes and conveyor troughs. Atnight when turned to its vertical position, as shownin Fig, 3, the alighting board forms a closure to keep the hens from roostlng in the nests. A plate l2 of sheet metal, slidingly connected with the board I by wire loops l3,engages with Vthe .SllPpOrting frame 9 in an inclinedvposition as shownby dotted lines in Fig. 3. This serves to support the board Il) in its upright position and at the same time covers the conveyor trough in such relation as to prevent the hens roosting on the conveyor or delivery chutesand excludes Vrefuse and .debris .therefrom at night. v

ht their delivery ends the conveyor troughs 8 communicate with short entry conduits 'i4 which project both exteriorly and interiorly` of the. sides of the storage cabinet 3.and intercommunioate through the insulated wall thereof and discharge laterally into receiving racks therein. The inlets I4 are provided with yielding closures or spaced swinging doors l5, which'are displaced by the. pressure of the entering egg but which resume their normal positions after the egg has passed and afford'therebetween a dead air space to exclude warm air from the-compartment The storage cabinet 3 may be of any suitable size, preferably, however, proportionate to the size ofthe nest V.batteries l. In the present instance it is shown of sufficient sizeto contain a separate storage rack for each tier of nests of the respective batteries. Thus, in the illustrated assembly the storage cabinet -3 contains 'four storage'racks, arranged side by. side ,in pairs,

with one pair above the other. The walls of the storage cabinet are thermally insulated to minimize heat leakage.l

Within the top of the storage cabinet is a refrigerant evaporator or cooling coil I6 connected with a compressor condenser unit (not shown). Such refrigerating apparatus is of conventional character, as commonly employed in electrically operated domestic refrigerators. The refrigerating apparatus is so operated as to maintain within the storage compartment 3 a substantially uniform temperature of approximately forty-six to fifty degrees Fahrenheit, but may be maintained at lower or higher temperature, as necessitated by market requirements and weather conditions.

'I'he storage racks l1 are removably insertable within the storage cabinet and interchangeable when lled with other racks of similar character. Each rack comprises a frame I8, preferably of light angle bar construction having wire mesh side walls i9. The sides are of hardware cloth of relatively large mesh. Half inch mesh is suitable, but inch mesh may be employed. Intermediate the side walls I9 are a series of vertically spaced, slightly inclined shelves 20, in somewhat staggered overlapping relation, each being curved upwardly at 2| at its higher end in spaced relation with the lower end of the next higher shelf. shelves are also preferably, although not necessarily, formed of Wire mesh cloth.

In constructing these storage trays, as well as the delivery chutes 'l and conveyor troughs 8, a relatively large mesh screen material of one quarter to one-half inch mesh is used for strength. However, on such material the eggs do not roll freely but tend to settle on open meshes of the material, and further, the heavier material is somewhat rigid and there is more danger of breakage. However, this difficulty is overcome by lining the several surfaces, to wit, the delivery chutes 1, the conveyor troughs 8, and the storage trays 20, with a much finer mesh screen cloth such as ordinarily used for ily screens. The smaller mesh cloth supports the eggs more uniformly across the larger open meshes of the heavier material and, being more resilient and flexible and since it does not conform exactly to the shape of the heavier material, affords a cushion effect.

The form of gravity conveyor or chute shown in Fig. is preferred. While the general construction and mode of operation are quite similar to that shown in Figs. 3 and 4, it diers therefrom by being laterally inclined as well as longitudinally inclined. The width of the main conveyor 8' is somewhat greater than the individual delivery chute 'I'. The eggs roll to the outer side of the conveyor trough 8' and are enabled to pass beyond the chutes 'l' as they progress down the trough 8', whereas in Figs. 3 and 4 the eggs must pass beneath the auxiliary chutes l. The preferred Fig. 5 construction enables the chutes I to be continued into contact or merging relation with the common conveyor trough 8'. Hence there is no drop of the eggs from the end of the chute into the conveyor as is the case in the Fig. 3 and 4 construction. In the Fig. 5 construction the chutes l are in effect triangular flaps, the inner portions of which coincide with the inclined bottom of the conveyor trough 8 in parallel substantially contacting relation therewith, while the outer margins are rolled upwardly in diagonal relation to These basket or tray-like direct the rolling egg down the conveyor trough.

The eggs deposited from the conveyor 8 into the storage cabinet 3 are firstA received at the higher end of the topmost tray or basket of the related storage rack and roll by gravity down the inclined surface of the tray or basket and fall thence into the upturned end of the next succeeding tray. The eggs roll to and fro from one tray to another until they come to rest in the lowermost unfilled tray. While it might be expected that at least some of the eggs would be broken enroute to the lower storage trays, such is not the fact. The several inclines, including the delivery chutes, the conveyor troughs and the storage tray bottoms, are disposed at such gradient that the eggs will roll by gravity, but at such relatively low speed that all damage is avoided. Their fall from the outlet of the discharge chutes 1 into the conveyor 8 and fromV one tray into another is so short and so cushioned by the ne mesh linings that no breakage occurs during normal operation. The storage racks are independently removable from the cabinet 3 and when filled are interchanged with like empty racks.

While the gravity transfer of eggs from the nests to the storage cabinet is quite satisfactory for ordinary commercial poultry farms having nest batteries of moderate size, for larger commercial installations wherein the eggs would acquire too great momentum and wherein necessary inclination of long conveyors would interfere with nests of a lower tier, traveling belt conveyors 23 are provided as illustrated in Fig. ll. The conveyors are disposed in front of and below the level of each tier of nests and are common tothe several discharge chutes 'l of nests of the entire tier. The conveyor belts 23 are preferably of webbing and are mounted on pulleys 25, one of which is actuated through a reduced speed drive by a motor 26. Y They discharge directly into the short chutes or conveyors I4 leading to the interior of the storage chamber. Instead of continuous travel motion of the belt conveyors, they are preferably intermittently operated by a suitable timing device which will automatically .turn the motor on and off periodically.

It is contemplated that in large poultry establishments wherein several different flocks of hens may be housed on different oors of a poultry house, there may be several batteries of nests on each floor. The eggs collected therefrom on traveling belts 23, as illustrated in Fig. 11, are discharged into a common elevator or vertical conveyor as illustrated in Fig. 12, by which the eggs are carried to a common refrigerated storage compartment on a lower or upper floor as may be desired. The horizontal egg collecting conveyors 23, of which there may be any desired number, discharge into a common endless traveling elevator or vertical conveyor 21. The elevator 2l is provided with a continuous succession of egg receiving pockets 28. The elevator comprises an endless belt 29 passing over guide pulleys 38 at its upper and lower ends. The pulleys 38 are mounted on shafts 3| and 32 journaled in a suitable supporting structure 33 in which are also journaled the guide pulleys 25 over which the horizontal collecting belts travel. Theelevator belt 28 carries a plurality of relatively spaced,

wide, shelf-like vanes 34 which define the intermediate pockets 28 and support the eggs in their descent. The elevator travelskwithin an enclosure or shield 35, which retains the traveling il -eeesjwitlii-ii the ooeirets es. hoes-iria es has oe'eriai'gs 13s coincident with different rioriee'ntai eolleetiiie cori-revers y2.. through eggs Aiii-"illes, i pertaining 'to the top conveyor '2 3, dit also has driving 'engagement -with drive sprock- 'ts M'oifotlier horizontal 'collecting conveyors 23. 'secohd sprocket 'on the shaft o'the ufpp'er 'contei/or pulley connected loy a drive chain te tgfitha sprocket upon the shaft 31 oi the 'upper elevatorjpdlley 'et arid 'aotuate's the elevator `iii Vinlied'relation vvith'the c'olectlng conveyors. vTo

'insure uniform 'travel of th'e elevator and relieve the belt 28 of driving strain, the upper ai'ldlower *elevator shafts 3| and 32 are prererably, altlrou'gnnot necessarily, interconnected 'by 'a 'drive ehaiii K1. 'The heit 29 'and "the pockets I8 are made `'siiifriciently 'wide V'to 'accommodate several 'eggs 'side b'y side, softha't in fthe event one the Collecting conveyors iireseiit's 'an 'egg at a Apocket 'into which 'one or incre eggs have already been disehaigel from other conveyors it will neverthell'ess -b received threih. However, "if the Tpocket is 'full .and can not accoxnmodateanother egg, Tthe egg being .presented Will be held .back temporarily Vand .the conveyor belt Amay travel thereunder until .an empty-.pocket comes Aopposite the `conveyor .into lwhich the egg will be discharged.

YAlthough the refrigerated compartment been illustrated of relatively small size, and as accommodating only l-four removable storage racks, i-t is to 4be understood thatit 4may be nia'de of Iany desired dimensions 'and may accommo- 'date `a large numberv of filled land partially 'filled racks. As fast as racks are filled with eggs de jp'osited from the conveyors, such racks vmay be withdrawn from 'the' 'egg receiving positions and -L replaced with other femfpty racks, While the filled yracl'r's aren-transferred elsewhere in the refrigerate red compartment for storage under proper ltemperature and huniidi'ty conditions.

4TO maintain Suitable hl'lmidty 'CC'iI'lC-toifxs with :the storiage compartment there is Aprovided a Vvra-- ter 'pan 4'8 immediately beneath the refri'gerating `coils 'I'B -in 'the top-'oi the compartment. This pan receives the water of 4condensation from the 'coils and additional Water is added thereto 'as 'may be required. Humidity 'is maintained 'at 'approximately 8 0 degrees, The preferred temperatureV is '46 to 50 F., at which degree two to two and 'a half hours are required to 'extract the anirnal `heat and clear the yolks.

'Such degree of humidity is 'found to be suinc'ient under ordinary conditions to ma'intain the moisture 'content of the eggs. The Shell of a newly llaid egg is completely full. However, li'f exposed to atmosphere, evaporation begins =al `rno's't immediately and an air cell `forms inside th'e -Shell 'which continues tolgrow until the contents 'are reduced quite materially. 'By supply-ing i'pl'e moisture vWithin the compartment evap- T5 aiseirternalteinp'eratre conditions may necessiafee/irse eration is retarded anti the l'moisture eoriteiit of `the eggs maintained constant.

Eggs Will germinate at s69" aF'., which is below *ordinary room "temperature, and `vvill incubate at "10Eo F., which li's Well under kOWn `rSummer temfpefatu-res. Consequently, 'if unprotected, `eggs 'deteriorate quite rapidly, :although still deemed commercial.

V-Bytlie herein Jde's'o'riloed method the Jeggs may be maintained 4"inthe'i-r initial condition 'Oi freshnessfrordliitesome time, and if maintained under "like -eondiftions duri-ng 'transit to rmarket 'will -aford eggs lof duality to the tra-de.

temperature Within a predetermined range sufnc'i'ently lowft'eflisslpate the animal hea-t and prefvent germination, but sufciently high to prevent '-freezirl'g orfdtherdeleterious effects of extremely flovv temperature. Therefore, the heat vexchange iwF6 finay loe-either a 4'coolingor va heating unit,

't'atcr-arld the-fair conditionfr'rg ci the storage Lcompartment herein inel-lftoned is to be deemed to be yhia'in't'enance of suc'h 'temperature and moisture desirable fdharaoteistics of'newly laid eggs.

feiertags t Vvvhilefin order to af :oinloly with 'the statute the invention has "been 'described in language more for lesssieeciiic as to structural-'femmes it is to be --lrifiderfsto'o 'd lthat the invention vis not limited to tihespecific features 4shown, but 'that the means 'and 'construction herein disclosed comprise the `preferred form of Several modes of putting the intention iritoeireot, and the invention is there- 'fo're `cl`airrred in any of "its 'fonris or modifications 'wi-thin 3the legitimate and valid scope 'of the "appended "c'lairn iiavirig thus described my invention, I claim:

in ahfapparatus wherein freshly laid leggs 'are 'collesteliy and 'subjected to preservation .treatment subtantially immediately upon deposit thereof fb'y fovvls, a storage cabinet having a plurality of eritrai'l'ce openingsyielding 'closures 'or'the openjirrgs automaticaliy closing the 'openings after 'passage jo'f jan egg "therethrough, a plurality of 'Teinovable 'receiving racks vin the cabinet into 'which the eggs KAare "received through said en- 'trancenpenings reirgerating means and hun'iidiiyin'g means Witlinl 'the cabinet, 'a plurality oi 'conveyors lischargiiigthrou'gh the entrance openings into Lthe cabinet, and a 'plurality of nests common/to each conveyor 'and discharging thereinto eggs'laid inthe nests for conveyance 'by the conveyor "to "an 'entrance to s'aid cabinet and th'elic'einto a removable receiving -rack therein.

I II-E-lZiSON EVERETT APPLE. 

